Still winter for a while

11:31 AM 2/23/2008

     I've spent too much time at the computer this morning ... I am in agony.  That is one less job I'd be able to do ... anything at the computer or even at a desk.
    Physical-activity jobs, which I used to love ... are also out of the question.
    I thought that doing crafts would get me some extra money ... but, that doesn't work for me, either.  No matter what position I try so I can do my crafts, even in the lounge chair ... my back soon starts bothering me.
    I'm so tired of being broke ... thank Heavens for Social Security ... but I earned that the hard way .... keeps me in the game, anyways.
   So, Medicare & my medical cards give me the chance to have treatments that do mitigate the pain & suffering.  I don't have the high level of pain that I lived with since at least the mid-70's.  Aches, agony, & discomfort do punish me for trying to do anything ... but, usually lying down for a while helps.

THESE PAST DAYS:
    I've felt fairly ambitious, which is always a clue that my body isn't hurting that much.  The trouble with that is I get involved with lots of activities (mostly indoor stuff right now) that make sure that I DO start hurting again.
    Most of the last of my Christmas stuff is down, tho, not stored yet.  Since "Valentines Day is my deadline for taking Christmas decorations down." ... I was forced to get that job done.
    SPRING CLEANING ... tho we've have mostly sub-zero weather (mostly at nite) ... maybe that's what's driving this cleaning urge?
     There's plenty of snow yet ... wondering if the amount of snow left will delay the start of my maple syruping, as it did last year?  I'm not looking forward to that project; both of my brush buggies need a mechanic ... cannot afford that ... will have to do it on foot again.

2:58 AM 2/29/2008
     Where do the days & weeks go?  My back has just been bothering me lately ... I MUST make an appointment for my facets!  I did resume going back to the chiropractor. 
   I have the excuse that our weather has been too cold to want to abuse my car trying to start it.
    I've even postponed many doctor appointments.  Missing the weekly chiropractor visits will make me sorry!  Also, I need some injections at the Pain Clinic ... and ...  another clinic for injections in my knee.  The others are mostly just SOP TESTS as part of getting acquainted with my new "regular doctor".

 

My winter project is to read all the books in the Crystal Falls Library on history of the Upper Peninsula.
I have to return a book today.... 

    L o i s 
My webpage: Crystal Falls, MI

My main AOL journal: 

Click here: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond

NORTHERN PROVERB:                         

 DON'T EAT YELLOW SNOW!

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BACKLOG of entries in February

click here: IRON County Courthouse Special on my main blog

"click on this picture to get a larger view"

3:44 PM 2/3/2008

     There ... I feel so much more enthused about this journal now ... with the new diary format.
     While I was making the entry, tho ... I smelled toasted cabbage; my stew simmering was running dry!   Oh, well ... that pot is cooling out in the snowbank; I've started a fresh pot.  Thank heavens that I hadn't put the meat in yet.  Not sure I like the toasted cabbage smell, tho.
    My back feels pretty good right now ... did that have anything to do with I did a few P.T. exercises this a.m.?  So ... that must be why I am feeling a bit more ambitious?

 

7:35 AM 2/4/2008

     What should I do today?  Oh ... a quick check of the calendar (on my cell-phone) tells me that I have a doctor's appointment (just a check-up) at 10:30. Recently, I changed to a new doctor; we're still getting acquainted. She seems quite intuitive; she's also experienced bad back problems & had some good advice.
    That about takes care of the first half of the day. Since snow is moving in late afternoon ... to last a day or more ... I'd better do some shopping while in town, too.

 

6:27 AM 2/8/2008

    The past few days, I've been trying to get things ready to take my crafts to a week-end show.  No heavy lifting ... just sustained periods of activity.
    Even my knee started bothering me; with being mostly cooped up in the house, the knee hasn't had much reason to start hurting.  My new doctor had instructed me to make an appointment with the specialist for another injection.  I had told her that I purposely am not overly active so as not to aggravate that knee.  Partly, the reason for not having made the appointment is that I am rationing the gas for my car.  My winter heating bills are getting behind and I'm on a budget.
     Yesterday ... even tho I did my craft work tipped back in my lounge chair, the heating pad on my back, many aspirins/ibuprophen, some gin, stretching exercises ... my back still was siezed up & really painful.  That kept me from sleeping well.
     I did some stretching/traction type exercises before finally getting up ... it helped some.  Now, I have the heating pad on the lounge chair ready for me to sit & get back at the craft project.  I could have finished it last evening, except for I had to retreat to my bed because my back hurt so much.
     I'm not looking forward to sitting all day for two days this weekend at the craft show ... my back will be just so ruined.

 

5:11 PM 2/19/2008

     Okay ... here I am, back to making a whining entry.  I've been taking ibuprophen, etc ... my back is really in agony.
     Because of the cold weather, snow, car problems ... I've been cancelling doctor appointments.  I missed two weeks of chiropractor ... my facets injections at the pain clinic ... etc. ... now, I'm suffering.

Click here for my weather(& yours)

FIRST "DAILY" ENTRY;

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2008

     Another chilly day ... tho the bright sun, blue sky with pretty white clouds ... made you think it wasn't really that cold.  At the time of this writing ... it is 19 degrees (F) below ZERO!

     Many times, at the end of the day, like this, it seems as tho I didn't do much today ... but, I WAS busy doing SOMETHING.  I tidied up the kitchen, putting stuff away that I'd had at the craft (gun) show.  The set of antlers that I thought I'd done such a good job of repairing is loose AGAIN!  Now, I have to take it apart again & figure out a procedure to REALLY fix it.  I thought I'd done that.

     I did some bookwork; found out that I probably cannot e-file my Energy Refund.  After many tries to get into the Michigan Tax Department, I gave up that route, too.  TOMORROW, I MUST MAIL IN THE FORM ... even tho I didn't get an answer to a question I have about filling it out.

     I don't know how long it will take to get that refund; it is not as much as I'd hoped.  It is based on what I used the past year; being economical with the thermostat thus worked against me.

     The only things that I did outside today were to bring some warm food & water up to the cats in the Gunta shed ... & feed the deer at the end of the afternoon.  After I got back into the house, I realized that I'd forgotten to get the mail ... but, I decided that wasn't important enough to go back out.

     Besides ... about that time, my back started hurting big-time.  Ibruprophen, etc. ... gin ... lounge chair didn't help.  I took a nap; that helped some.

     At the time of this entry ... now ... it's gone past midnite.

L o i S

 

YOOPER Ground Hog Day

3:25 PM 2/3/2008

 

     HERE WE GO WITH THE FIRST ENTRY ON THE NEW, IMPROVED WAY OF MAKING ENTRIES ... NOT JUST WHEN I TAKE SOME ASPIRIN, OR, HAVE TO GO TO BED WITH THE PAIN ....
    I feel more enthused already!  Here's a link to my main BLOG:

click here: YOOPER Ground Hog Day

  MEET "Aino Chukinen"

... our local YOOPER    Groundhog ...   

So ... I'm gunta KEEP my Resolution List
Posting it here reminds me!

• Get involved in community activities
• Get involved with church activities
• Get better at doing my vitamins & physical therapy

ADDING SOME MORE "GUNTA-DO's"

• Sort out my GUNTA shed
• Remember family birthdays

     I'm doing fairly well on my list so far ... found out that diligently taking my vitamins makes me more ambitious, which, in turn, leads to doing more of my P.T.  ... which helps how my back feels ... which makes me more cheerful, etc, etc.

 

 

L o i S

Tags: back, Yooper, New Year Resolution